


Deleted Scene

by MsAmburrito



Category: The Walking Dead (TV), The Walking Dead RPF
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-23
Updated: 2017-02-23
Packaged: 2018-09-26 09:30:21
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,654
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9882980
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MsAmburrito/pseuds/MsAmburrito
Summary: While reading the script for season 7 episode 10, Norman and Melissa find out their characters are going to kiss for the first time.This is what I wanted to happen during the hugging scene.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Some spoiler material.

It was still dark when Melissa arrived on set. She yawned as she made her way over to the breakfast table. It was way too early for anyone to be working. There was a wide variety of goodies to choose from and she eagerly grabbed a plate. Piling a bagel, some strawberries, and a piece of toast on her plate she looked around. She didn't see him yet. Must still be sleeping, she thought smiling. Crew members started to gather around the table, taking a break from setting up the first scene. Greg Nicotero waved her over and she smiled, walked over and gave him a hug. "Hey darling," he greeted her. "How are you this morning?"

"Tired, but excited to get started." she replied.

"Good. I have a lot of make up to set up, so I'll see you later?" He smiled at her as he walked away, passing by Norman on the way. He gave Norman a shove on the arm, and laughed as Norman responded grumpily, "Quit it, Nicotero." Norman tried to shove his friend back but Greg dodged his arm, backing up swiftly. "Someone needs some lovin'," Greg teased as he pointed Norman towards Melissa. 

Norman spotted Melissa over at one of the tables. He smiled at her and she smiled back. She always made his day better, especially when he had a particularly bad night. He was supposed to have his son stay with him over the weekend, but plans changed. His ex wife wanted their son to go with her and her new boyfriend to some place-Norman didn't remember, and didn't care-and it pissed him off. After arguing with her, he finally agreed to have Mingus come over the following weekend for a week instead. However good that was, he still wanted him for this weekend coming up. He sat down at the table next to Melissa. "Hi." she said to him. 

"Hey, Mel." he replied.

"You look awful," she teased him. "Did you sleep at all?"

"No, I had a rough night. Plans fell through with Mingus." He sighed, rubbing his palm across his face.

"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that." Melissa put her hand on his arm. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"Maybe later." Norman gave her a reassuring smile. "I just want to get to work. I can't wait to read the script for the next episode." 

"Yeah, me either."

Just at that moment Andy, Chandler, Lauren, and Danai joined them. "Hey guys," they said in unison and then all laughed. 

"Man, we've been together too long." Andy remarked. 

"I'm starving," Norman piped up, picking strawberries off of Melissa's plate.

"Hey, get your own," she laughed. 

"You mean these aren't for all of us?" Norman asked, innocently. 

"I don't think Mel meant to share," Danai replied to Norman, smiling at Melissa.

"Can someone get Norman his own plate before he eats all of my food?" Melissa asked the group. 

 

The conference room was loud with the sounds of excited voices and shuffling papers. It was time to see the new script. Executive producers Greg Nicotero and Gale Anne Hurd walked into the room and greeted the actors. "Is everyone excited to read?" Gale asked the group.

"Hell yeah, we are!" Norman said enthusiastically. Greg handed each person a script, keeping one for himself and Gale. They joined the others at the table. The title read New Best Friends and it was the tenth episode of the season. They noticed that Jeffrey wasn't written in. "We won't be seeing Negan today?" Andy asked. 

"No, we figured we'd give the fans a little break from him. You can imagine him chilling with Lucille at home." Greg replied. Everyone laughed as they pictured that very image. But everyone loved working with Jeffrey Dean Morgan. He was such a talented actor, and they would miss him on the set today. Flipping through the pages, Melissa came to a very interesting scene with Norman. She gasped as she read through. Their characters, Daryl and Carol, were finally going to be reunited. She was ecstatic because she hadn't shared a scene with him in so long. Then her stomach flipped as if she were on a roller coaster. Norman, who was sitting next to her as usual, jumped up in excitement. "Dude!" he exclaimed to Andy. 

"You just said 'dude'." Andy responded, wondering what had his friend speaking like a surfer from California. He started to laugh when he saw Norman jumping up and down like a little kid. Andy had to find out what was going on so he turned to the page he saw was left open next to Norman. Scanning through the words, he too gasped in surprise.   
"It's finally happening. The kiss we've all been waiting for. But will Daryl chicken out?" Andy teased Norman, and he stuck his tongue out in a juvenile reply to his friend.  
"After what Daryl has been through, he needs Carol. It's the perfect time." Norman talked about his character fondly, while looking at Melissa who remained silent. That's odd, he thought. He went over to her wrapping his arms around her shoulders. "Isn't this exciting?" he whispered into her ear. Melissa swallowed nervously. Yes it was great. It was what she knew her fans-and his-have been waiting for. She knew there was an unmistakable relationship between their characters and she enjoyed acting it out, using some real life influence to fuel the scenes. But it was always a mystery whether or not their characters would get together. She honestly thought it would never happen. And now here she was, reading about a very passionate kiss between them. She didn't have a problem doing love scenes but she never had to do one with her Walking Dead coworkers. Not even when Adam Minarovich, who played her abusive husband Ed, was around. But then again there wasn't supposed to be much love between them. Norman didn't seem nervous at all. He seemed confident and obviously excited. She wondered if he thought about this scene often. There's no way, she thought shaking her head. She heard Gale speak then. 

"Yes, Daryl and Carol are finally going to express their feelings for one another. We thought it was the right time for both the characters. We start filming for it in an hour."

 

Norman and Melissa were in full costume an hour later. Everyone hung around the set, wanting to see these two kiss. Melissa wished that there weren't so many watchful eyes. It made her even more nervous. "Just breathe, " she told herself under her breath. "You've done this kind of thing before." However it was different this time, she reminded herself. This time she was kissing Norman. She looked at him standing a few feet from her, talking to Greg. He was handsome, she thought. No wonder so many women wanted him. Her heart skipped a beat when she saw him walking towards her.   
"Are you nervous, Mel? Because you don't have to be." He squeezed her hand and she let out her breath. 

"No, I'm okay," she told him. 

"Okay, places everybody!" Gale called out. "Now Melissa, you're going to be sitting on this couch reading a book. It's just after Ezekiel and his group have left and Carol is feeling annoyed at being disturbed once again. Then you hear a knock at the door and you sigh, exasperated, as you answer it. Then you see Daryl standing there. Got it?"

"Yeah I got it," she replied.

"And action!" the director called.

The two got into place. She answered the door, and saw a teary eyed Daryl standing there. She made her own eyes tear up as they looked at each other for a minute, and then hugged. Just the hug made Melissa almost start balling for real. It was such an emotional moment for their characters. She could imagine the fans' reactions. The character of Daryl asked her, "Why'd you go?"

Her as Carol replied, "I had to."

In the next scene, the two were sitting in the little cabin together. There was a fire lighting up the dark room. After Daryl told Carol what happened after she left, they had dinner. Then it was time for Daryl to leave. Here it comes, Melissa thought. They walked to the door and hugged once again. Carol watched Daryl walk away and then pause, turn around, and come sprinting back towards her. He dropped his crossbow as he stood there, not saying anything for a moment. Then he softly put his hand on her cheek, caressing it all the way down to her chin. Norman's own heart was racing as he acted out the scene. He hadn't told anyone this but he was harboring very real feelings for Melissa. This scene was a dream come true for him. But he knew it was a fictional act between two fictional characters. It would never happen between him and Melissa for real. He almost lost his cool thinking about this but then snapped himself back into reality as he stared into her eyes.

And then the kiss. Their lips met slowly and then passionately, the two characters hands roaming each other's bodies. Norman and Melissa both felt the released tension between their characters. They seemed to melt into each other, everything disappearing except their love. And then interruption. "Cut!" a voice called from behind them. 

"Wow, great job guys! That was perfect. The fans are going to love it." Andy told them, slapping Norman on the back. Norman still held Melissa in his arms, reluctant to let her go. 

"Uh, Norman?" she asked him. 

"Yeah?"

"It's over now. You can let me go." she smiled, teasingly. But knowing very well she didn't want him to.

"Oh, right." They parted looking at each other. Both wanted to ask the other if what they felt was real or just written. 

"That's a wrap, guys!"


End file.
